September 10th, 2009

By Jon Lane
Derek Jeter’s pursuit of Lou Gehrig is great, but far more important is that Friday is the eighth anniversary of 9/11. The Yankees announced that they will hold a special ceremony before the game to honor the USS New York and the ship’s crew.

Here’s the 411:

The New York Yankees today announced they will hold a special pregame ceremony on Friday, September 11, prior to the Yankees’ 7:05 p.m. game vs. the Orioles.

During the home plate ceremony, the Yankees will give special recognition to the USS New York and the ship’s crew as well as the commissioning committee during a home plate ceremony. The state-of-the-art stealth ship, whose bow stem includes seven-and-a-half tons of steel recovered from the fallen World Trade Center, is scheduled to be commissioned into the U.S. Navy’s fleet on November 7.

The presentation of colors will be made by the USS New York Naval Color Guard, the FDNY Color Guard, the NYPD Color Guard and the Port Authority Color Guard. Naval musician Laura Carey will sing the national anthem.

Representing Washington, D.C. – an area also affected by the 9/11 tragedy – will be Janet Napolitano, Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, who will throw out the game’s ceremonial first pitch.

Scheduled to arrive into the New York Harbor on November 2, the USS New York will proceed up the Hudson River, where she will pause and dip her ensign (the American Flag) as she passes the World Trade Center site, then proceed up to the George Washington Bridge, turn and dock at her Manhattan pier. On November 7, she will enter naval service.

August 22nd, 2009

WASHINGTON (NNS) — The Navy officially accepted delivery of the future USS New York (LPD 21) from Northrop Grumman Shipbuilding (NGSB) during a ceremony Aug. 21 at the company’s Avondale shipyard in New Orleans.

New York is the first of three LPD 17-class ships built in honor of the victims of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.

The ship’s bow stem was constructed using 7.5 tons of steel salvaged from the World Trade Center. The Navy named the eighth and ninth ships of the class – Arlington and Somerset – in honor of the victims of the attacks on the Pentagon and United Flight 93 respectively. Arlington and Somerset are also incorporating materials salvaged from those sites.

New York completed acceptance trials July 24, performing well for the Navy’s Board of Inspection and Survey (INSURV). During the detailed inspection, all shipboard systems and equipment, including combat, ship, machinery control and mission systems, were successfully demonstrated during a series of demanding inport and at-sea test events. This trial confirmed the continuing improved class trend in system design specifications and quality assurance programs.

“This ship will be a symbol,” said Capt. Bill Galinis, the LPD 17-class program manager for the Navy’s Program Executive Office for Ships. “The Navy and the shipbuilder have worked hand-in-hand to deliver this highly capable warship to the Navy and our nation. It has been a tremendous privilege for all of us who have had an opportunity to participate in the construction of this ship.”

The principal mission of LPD 17-class amphibious transport dock ships is to transport and deploy the necessary combat and support elements of Marine expeditionary units and brigades. The ship will carry approximately 720 troops and have the capability of transporting and debarking air cushion (LCAC) or conventional landing craft and expeditionary fighting vehicles (EFV), augmented by helicopters or vertical take off and landing aircraft (MV 22). These ships will support amphibious assault, special operations and expeditionary warfare missions through the first half of the 21st century.

New York is the fifth ship of the LPD 17-class and the fifth ship in the Navy to be named after the Empire State. Arrival in New York is scheduled for November. Early events will be focused on ship’s crew, their families, first responders and 9/11 families. Public viewing is scheduled in the days prior to and days following the commissioning, slated for Nov. 7.

AVONDALE, La. — The first thing that hits you about the New York is the enclosed masts that form twin towers stretching skyward over 1,300 workers toiling to finish the massive warship dedicated to the victims of 9/11.

Deep within the ship, there’s a piece of metal in the 25,000-ton vessel with almost sacred significance.

The 7.5-ton,19-foot-long bow stem, which forms the forwardmost part of the ship, is forged from steel recovered from the hallowed land at Ground Zero.

The future USS New York LPD-21 under construction at Northrop Grumman Ship Systems’ shipyard in Avondale, LA, will be the fifth amphibious transport dock of the San Antonio class. The ship was named New York after the state and incorporates in its construction steel salvaged from the World Trade Centers. Her ship motto is "Never Forget." "We're very proud that the twisted steel from the WTC towers will soon be used to forge an even stronger national defense," New York Gov. George Pataki spoke in 2002. "The USS New York will soon be defending freedom and combating terrorism around the globe, while also ensuring that the world never forgets the evil attacks of Sept. 11 and the courage and strength New Yorkers showed.” This will be the seventh U.S. ship named New York.

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